Ladder construction



1 1927. 1616 899. Feb 8 J. INGERsoLL j LADDER CONSTRUCTION Original Filed April 17. 1922 j. I y Y.

""IIIIIIIV ZzULQ/nof.hI fase/1k frye/1501A Patented Feb. 8, 1927.

JosErH INGERSOLL, E Los ANGELES, camronnrn, nssrernon :nol rali/insa.

Pn'r'rnnson, orLos Antennas, on;1roi'trirnvlk LADDER 'CONSTRUQTIQNI pplication led April 1.7, 1922, Serial No. 554,026. RenewedDeceinber15, 19,26.

The present invention relates to ladder construction, and has to do. particularly With improvements in means for securingV the steps to the side rails or stiles Without mortising the latter. I

Specifically it pertains to improved means for detachably securing lthe steps to the stileS, so that the steps may be replaced, as they become Worn, With a mini-mum effort and expense; at the same time providing a rigid and durable construction having few parts. v

The' foremost object ofthe invention is strength of construction 'combined ,with simplicity. These features-are characterizedijby the use of a metallic'joint-forming member, formed of a single piecefo'f. material; Where@ in riveting is eliminated 'and a minimum number offbolts used; softhat the parts may be easily and quickly assembled-or replaced. AlsoV the jointv forming vmembers are so formed that the bolt headswillengage With metal parts and not with the .Wooden steps or Stiles. f 25 The invention Will `be more. fully 2 setforth in the following specification, reference being made therein tol the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof in which drawings: Figure 1 is a plan View illustrating the configuration of the blank from which the joint forming member isrformed. Figure 12 is a section showing the manner of `attaching the member to the steps and stiles,;and Fig. 3 is a bottom plan View thereof.

' sWhile my invention 'will be hereinafter described'in its application to step-ladder construction- Where it Will undoubtedly have its greatest utility-it will nevertheless be clear that it may be applied to many other similar constructions, Wheresteps may be secured to side rails. i

`Referring .novv particularly. yto Fig. 2 the numerallO designates the side rail orstile of a typical lstep ladder, and, llxone of aplurality ofstepssecured therebetween ati the usual interval i i My improved oint forming member is designated/generally byI the numerall 15; Which -is formedof a single piece ofsuitable material, such as galvanized iron.y yThese.inermbers are made in rights-and lefts,. identical except for theirbformation for such reversed positions. Ablanlr fromwhich they are formed is illustratedin Fig..1andin-;pl an is" of a: cruciform configuration.` lt'conf than the` arm 17, havingparallel .sides 21e);-

tending part of itsv length, which terminate in a tapered portion and rounded,v end 18?, a bolt. hole 22 being `'likewise punched inl the latter. An apertureQSL is punchedin-.fthe Varm-18 slightly inWa-rdof its ,outerftapered end, as shown in Fig. l. A

After lthus form'ingthe fjoint forming member, from aysingle piece ofqmaterial, the va'rmsl and '17 are bentto extend innpposite directions f and at substantially ,1 right!l ang-les tosthejpl-ane of the. body portioii',-jbeing;bent along the dottedflines shownf atv 16?: and; li?, of :'Fig. 1.l yThe arm 18 hereinafter termed the bracek arm isV then .bent in the `same ldirfectionl as the arm 17along thefdottedllirie 18b ;f but instead of. ',extending atsubstantially rightiangles to the plane ofthe body porvtion itfeXtends upwardly at,A an ,anglevthereto and towards the larm 1,7 after` whiclrits .outer tapered e end. 18"? is, .bent Cloiinwellly t0 extend. outwardly in a; plane lparallel `.vyith the plane of the arm l7;afte.1 its being' .beet yoveras just described.

l Whenv the; blank? iS Yfirst formed-1a 'PQriiQH 24 is stampedlout S0. that it may be; lbent 01.11"/- Wardly in the same directionas thel arinlf,

along: a 'line 24% .tQfOI-me Hanse, spaced from and parallel with the` plane -.of,f,thlelza`rmf17, after its being `bent as described. A vbolt hole 25 is also, punched-inthe body portion, situated' immediately belowtherflange 24.' n

After being thus formed the'v member lis.,

ready. for attachmentto .the Stil@ lldftep a@ nids, ,as illustrated 111.15116 other; tg-

ures of the drawings, beingfclearly edinFig-2. Thisl prefento doy setransverse end 11a curing the memberV to the step 11 by extending the end of the step between the arm 17 and the parallel bent over portion 18a of the brace arm 18, inserting it therein until its abuts against the inner face of the body portion. It may be here noted that the -flange 24 is so positioned that it will extend inwardly from the body portion in a plane with the bent over portion 18 of the arm 18, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. rIhus the step 11 is supported upon the flange 24 and the brace arm 18. The bolt holes 2O and 22 in the arms 17 and 18, respectively, are so positioned that when the arms 17 and 18 are bent, as hereinbefore described, these holes willbe coaxial, through which a bolt 26 maybe extended and also through a registering aperture 27 in the step 11. The bolt 26 is thus'extended downwardly through the arin 17 ,step 11, and arm portion 18a so that its top 26a (which willbe preferably rounded) will engage the arm 17 and so a nut 28 may be attached to its opposite end from the under side of the step 11.

After-.thus securing the member to the step 11, both may then be secured to one of the stiles by resting the body portion against the inner face of the stile andthen bending the arins16 around the longitudinal Vedges of the stile and inwardly to- Y wards each other across its opposite or outer the aperture face, bringing them together tightly around the stile so the bolt holes 19 vwill register with each other. v

After thus overlapping the arms 16 a tie 'bolt 29a is extended through the registering'V apertures 19, an aperture 31 in the stile 10, 25 inthe body portion and the aperture 23a in the brace arm 18'and a nut 32 applied to its outer end. f

'A reinforcing plate 33, formed of cornmaterial, is provided, angularly bent, as shown, to conform to the configuration of the under-face of the brace arm 18, and vhaving apertures 34k and 35 positioned to register with the apertures 22 and 23a of the arm 18.

'Ihe hole 232L is positioned centrally of the brace arm 18 and only large enough to receive the tie bolt 29a; the latter being bent.

over adjacent its head 29b so that it may extend through the registering holes 23EL and v 35 at substantially right angles to the brace arm 18 and plate 33. The head 29b flatly engagesthe plate, and the'shanlr of the bolt extends through the hole 31.

The step bolt 27 extends through the reg- 'I istering holes 22 and 34;, in the arm portion 18L and 'plate 33 respectively, and receives the nut 28, which is screwed up -'tightly against the plate 33, to clamp it and the brace arin end 18a tightly against theunder face of the step 11.A

Thus'the plate 33 forms a rigid connection between the bolts 26 and 29, so that, in

effect, they not onlyrigidly tiey the step to the stile but form a substantial support for the step. The plate 33 is used so that the,Y

vjoint forming member 15 may be construct- Ved of a light'and easily handled material,

rangement of bolts for securing the parts together; or I may use them in combination with metallic platesV fashioned to aid in supporting andbracing the parts, as described, without departing from thespirit of my invention.

I-Iaving described a preferred formrof my invention I claim:

1. In a step-ladder construction or the like the combination with a step and stile of a joint formingv device comprising a metal plate having a body portion adapted to engage the inner face of the Stile; arms extending laterally from saidv body portion to embrace the longitudinal edges of the stile and lap across its outer face; an'arm extending inwardly tion to engage the top face of the step; an arm extending inwardly from said Vbody portion to engage the bottom face ofthe step; va securing bolt extending transversely from the top .of said body porthrough said stepV and its engaging arms;

securing bolt extending transversely through said stile and its overlapped embracing arms and said body portion; and a reinforcing plate connecting the adjacent ends of said bolts; thesaid arms serving to space the ends of said bolts from the stile and step.

2. In a step-ladder construction or the like, the combination with a step and stile, of a joint forming device comprising a metal plate having a to engage the inner facevof the stile; arms extending laterally from said body portion to embrace the longitudinal edges of the stile and lap across its outer face; an arm extending inwardly from the top of said body portion to engage the top face of the step.; a brace arm extending inwardly and .upwardly from the bottom edge of said the upper end of said brace body portion, arm being bent to lie flat againstthe under face of the step; a securing bolt extending transversely through said step and its enbody portion adapted iio gaging arms; a securing bolt extending transversely through said stile, its over-Y- lapped embracing arms, said body Yportion and the diagonal portion of the bracel arm;

and a reinforcing plate conforming to the its shank to lie flat against the face of the contour of the outer facel 0f the brace arm reinforcing plate. i' held against said brace arin by said bolts In Witness that I claim the foregoing I 10 extending therethrough, said plate forming have hereunto subscribed my name this 27th 5 a rigid connection between the adjacent ends day of Feb., 1922.

of said bolts, the head of the bolt extendingV f through the stile being bent at an angle With Y JOSEPH INGERSOLL. 

